Fremantle
There's a discussion happening on wikimedia-l; I had no idea of the "highest ideal of the Prussian civil servant", but it sounds sensible. Ziko van Dijk writes:
It seems to me that many Wikipedians or Wikimedians think of themselves as being progressive and modern. Our wikis are a tribute to science and enlightenment. Spontaneity and a laissez-faire-attitude are held in high regard; "productive chaos" and "anarchy" are typical for wikis.
When I had a closer look at our values and ideas, I got the impression that the opposite is true. Many attitudes and ideals sound to me more like bureaucracy and traditionalism:
- being thorough, with regard to content and writing about it
- community spirit
- treating everyone equally without regard of the person (the highest ideal of the Prussian civil servant)
- individual initiative
- reliability